AN ARMY RESERVE FOR AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2943, 1 December 1916, Page 7

AN ARMY RESERVE FOR AUSTRALIA

I —, — DEFENCE MINISTER'S SCHEME FORCE OF OVER 150,000 ME$ The Minister of Defence (Senator Penrce) stated, the other day that it) . had been decided to create an Aug--" tralian Army Reserve, which would be open to: (a) Members of the Citizen, l'orces who have completed the period of service under the universal training clauses of the Defence Act; (b) Australian soldiers who have been on active service; (c) retired members of tho per- • inanent military forces of the Common•wealtk; (d) men resident in the Commonwealth who have seen active service with the military forces raised in anyt part of the Empire (provided they are not already members of a reserve); and (e) members of rifle clubs. For these classes the service would be voluntary,and excepting in the case of rifle clubs, tho period of training would not exceed four whole days a'year. For the purposes of preserving the traditions and honours won by the members of the Australian Imperial Forces on active, service, the militia units of the Commonwealth Military Forces would be renumbered, and given, as far as, practicable, the numbers at present' borne by the nnits of the Australian Imperial Force. To each of the existing militia units so renumbered would bolinked a reserve unit,. consisting of men who had served at the front in a. unit bearing the same number as this renumbered militia unit of which they would form tho reserve. This would onsnre that the numerical designation, of tho A.I.F. units, who had mads history for Australia, would be carried on for all time in tho military forces of ' the Commonwealth. The reservists who did not reside near, the headquarters of their own reserve unit would train with that nearest their place of resi- : dence. In time of war, continued the Mnis> ter, all reservists', no matter where theft might be residing in the Commonwealth, when mobilised, would be concentrated at the headquarters of their particular unit_ in the same way as English re-, ' servists resident in Australia had been! , recalled to England to rejoin their regi-< ments during the present war. Mem- 1 bers of .the reserve, who had served ihi ! the present war, would be allowed to' retain their battalion arm patches, so. that no matter where in Australia an A.I.F. member of the reserve might he trained, he would retain the outward and visible sign of \ the unit with which 1 he fought in this great war. "It is, I think, reasonable to as« sume," Senator Pearce "that, apart from the militia, forces and other sections of tho reserve, thia scheme will within 12 monthß of the termination of the war, give Australia. ,a force of from 150,000 to 200,000 men. > trained in the latest methods or modem • warfare who can, if Australia requires ■ them, be quickly and effectively mobi- <■ lised. Feeling that every man who,' ■ through no fault of his own, has be--1 come incapacitated in the service of his ■ country, should net be forgotten in this L scheme, an honorary reserve forms part 1 of it. No warning will be required from 1 these men, but, belonging to the reserve, will enable them to keep in touch with their comrades and the unite with which they were associated. "With the object of giving the people an opportunity to help the military authorities in all matters affecting the contentment and well-being of the men who have fought for them, and also those who are being trained for the. ■ future defence of Australia, it has been decided to constitute the 75 Federal ' electorates of the Commonwealth into territorial associations.' In drawing up the duties and functions of these associations, the Territorial scheme of Great . Britain has. been followed wherevei , practicable. As I instructed Colonel ■ MacKay, C.8., V.D., to draw up this 1 scheme for the Australian Army Re< serve, I have now decided to entrust him with the task of launching it, and, with that .object in view, have appointed him temporarily director-general of . the Australian Army Reserve, in the • department of the adjutant-general."